


I'll Be Fine Again

by Lobotomite



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Eddie is a great dad and deserves only good things, Eddie is having a bad day and Buck and Chris show him they love him, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Soft Eddie Diaz, with cuddles and breakfast in bed, written as pre-Buddie but can be read as friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:14:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25307317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lobotomite/pseuds/Lobotomite
Summary: Eddie knows as soon as he wakes up that it's a bad day.As a single parent, as a firefighter, he doesn't actually get the luxury of bad days - doesn't have the luxury of not being on. Unfortunately, his brain refuses to get the memo, so he wakes more tired than he was when he fell asleep, weary deep down to his bones and dreading the moment he has to force his eyes open, let alone the barely surmountable task of levering himself out of bed. And after that... well, he can't think about after that, or he won't even make it to the first step.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Comments: 8
Kudos: 181





	I'll Be Fine Again

**Author's Note:**

> Because you don't always need them to make it better; sometimes you just need to know they're there until it passes. AKA, I've been rewatching, and Eddie deserves some soft quality time with his boys.

Eddie knows as soon as he wakes up that it's a bad day.

As a single parent, as a firefighter, he doesn't actually get the luxury of bad days - doesn't have the luxury of not being _on_. Unfortunately, his brain refuses to get the memo, so he wakes more tired than he was when he fell asleep, weary deep down to his bones and dreading the moment he has to force his eyes open, let alone the barely surmountable task of levering himself out of bed. And after that... well, he can't think about after that, or he won't even make it to the first step.

So. Eyes open. Up and at 'em, Diaz, you have a kid waiting for you to get your ass in gear.

Only...

Only it's hard to convince himself of that, in the early morning silence, when it would be so easy to just drift off back to sleep. When it's harder to open his eyes than to keep them closed and let the day disappear into a muggy, restless doze. His responsibilities feel so vague and nebulous he could almost convince himself he's woken up early and has time to steal a few more minutes. He hasn't and he doesn't, but he's got plenty of practice lying to himself.

 _I'll get up when I hear Chris,_ he bargains with himself, knowing even as he does that the few minutes it'll get him will only end up with him feeling groggier and more adrift. He doesn't have work today, he doesn't need to be ready himself, just needs to drive Chris to school and then he can get started on forcing himself to stay awake until a relatively reasonable bedtime. He can take just a few more minutes, not even to sleep, just to let his eyes rest.

It's only when he's startled awake by a gentle knock at his bedroom door that he realizes he's fucked that plan right up.

He jolts upright, clothes sticking to his skin despite the cool air of the room, only managing to bite back a _fuck_ because of the years of practice that come with a young son who remembers everything he hears.

"Woah, hey, sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. Just wanted to see if you were ready for breakfast."

Buck. Jesus, he forgot about Buck.

 _Idiot,_ he thinks, knows he should be angry at himself but just feels blank, _who the fuck forgets who's stayed the night in the same house as their son._ He trusts Buck with Christopher more than he trusts himself, but that doesn't excuse it.

"Yeah," he croaks. Clears his throat, rubs his eyes, tries again. "Yeah, sorry. Gimme a second, I'll be right out."

"Ah ah, no you won't," Buck objects. Eddie raises an eyebrow, and Buck just grins, leaning against the door-frame, looking pleased with himself and sleep-ruffled and heart-breakingly domestic.

"I won't." It's a question, but he can't gather the necessary energy for inflection.

"Nope. Chris is putting the finishing touches on breakfast in bed right now."

His throat goes tight.

"Buck..."

"No," Buck says decisively. "None of that. No beating yourself up, no thinking you don't deserve it. We made chocolate chip pancakes and fruit and coffee, and we're all gonna pile into your bed and enjoy eating it before I take Chris to school."

"I can't let my son take on my bullshit, Buck," he protests. " _I_ take care of _him_. Never the other way around. I won't do that to him."

"Yeah, okay. I get that. Good thing _I'm_ taking care of you and he's helping me out." He's wavering, and he can tell Buck knows it. "He doesn't think he needs to take care of you, Eddie, I promise," Buck presses, blue eyes wide and sincere. "You're not burdening anyone. He's a great kid with a massive heart who likes helping me in the kitchen and likes doing nice things for people, especially his dad. So just- let us do something nice for you, okay?"

"...Alright," he acquiesces. "But I'm taking him to school."

"Deal." The sunny smile that Buck shoots across the room doesn't pull the weight off his back or leech the tiredness from his bones, but it does settle in his chest, warm and comfortable, and when Chris beams up at him after making his careful way over with a plate of cut fruit, the bitter taste of failure starts to fade from his mouth.

"Good?" Buck asks when he's settled at Eddie's side, Christopher curled against the other.

"Very," Eddie admits. The food sits heavy in his stomach, but they both know that's not what they're talking about, and Buck bumps their shoulders together, pleased. Christopher cheers in agreement through a mouthful of pancake, and the smile Buck treats him to is soft and affectionate, and Eddie is still tired and feels like he's experiencing everything through cotton, but cocooned in their love the end of it actually feels within reach.


End file.
